Review: Illuminare Cosmetics Extra Coverage Foundation

Hello gorgeous, I'm back again. This time we're looking at foundation. I absolutley love mineral makeup, however I know a lot of women love liquid, well why not combine the two: great coverage, easy application, lightweight, etc....Illuminare Cosmetics did just that. They offer liquid mineral foundation in 3 finishes.

Illuminare Cosmetics Foundation is like nothing you've ever used before, and it's exactly what you want. I reached out to the lovely ladies at Illuminare, after trying out a new eyecolor formula, and they were more than happy to send me some foundation to try. I've used it several times now, and let me tell you, I may just put all my traditional powder mineral foundation away.

Illuminare foundation was so, so easy to apply. It blended easily, and it covered everything. I haven't used a liquid foundation in like 6 years, and honestly, never thought I would again. I had no problem getting this foundation to look amazing. I love the way mineral makeup makes my skin look: even, smooth, dewy, etc. And it's so easy to apply. The only drawback, for me, with traditional mineral foundation, is that I have combination skin, and once I get oily, there's no touching it up. If I try to powder it, I'll end up looking cakey. Illuminare Foundation gave me all the things that I love with mineral makeup, and none of the problems. I have literally worn it all day with no problem, and I never looked oily. Just like with powdered mineral foundation, a teeny, tiny bit of Illuminare goes a long way. Literally, like a pea-sized amount, covered my whole face.

I cannot say enough about how much I liked Illuminare! Have you tried it? What did you think?

Check out The MakeUp Bar for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

Check out The MakeUp Bar for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

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Spotlight on curly hair: Mixed Chicks

Spotlight on curly hair: Mixed Chicks

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Tarte and Commando Contest

Tarte and Commando Contest

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Review: Sigma Makeup brushes

Review: Sigma Makeup brushes

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Review: Eufora Hair Care Products

Hello girls, I'm so excited to tell you all about Eufora International. I was given the opportunity to try out some products from the line, and Wow! The products work great, they left my hair shiny, soft, defined, and gorgeous! And don't even get me started on the smell, everything smells like candy, sort of, very sweet and soft. I love it!!

Eufora Inl. is the only salon professional product line that bases all of their products in certified organic Aloe Vera Gel. None of their products have water as a base, only Aloe Vera, which is super moisturizing. And their conditioners are 80% aloe vera. They also do not use any carcinogenic ingredients in their products.

The easiest way for me to review everything for you dolls, is to do a run down of the Eufora products that I was sent, and what I thought of each, so here we go:

• Urgent Repair Replenishing Treatment: This is a great protein treatment, so the longer you leave it on, the better the results. I sat down for quite a while today with this sitting on my hair. After I got cleaned up my hair was so soft and bouncy. A little protein can go a long way for anyone with hair like mine: damaged, color-treated, and dry. This particular product is based in 85% Aloe Vera, it has soy, wheat, and human hair keratin proteins. It works by helping to rebuild your hairs own proteins, making it stronger and shinier. I really like this, it made my scalp tingle, and smelled great!

• Pure Polish Finishing Drops: This is an awesome shine serum, it left my hair soft, bouncy and smelling like a candy store. Yum! And it's great at frizz control, so it could be used on wet hair, whether I'm wearing it curly or straight! It contains Kukui Nut Oil, Aloe Vera Leaf Extract, and Vitamin E. This is just one more reason why I'm loving the Eufora products so much, they all contain ingredients that are actually good for your hair. Instead of simply hiding your hair problems, the line is designed to help give your hair back it's strength.

• Piece Works Defining Paste:  I absolutely love styling products, they're sort of my weakness, as I'm always looking for the bigger better deal. I really liked this stuff. It comes in a pump dispenser, and it looks like thick glue, but when you emulsify it and start applying it to your hair it isn't stiff or sticky at all. It's pliable, and worked great at defining my layers when I blowdry, or giving my curls more definition. It contains all sorts of great botanicals, panthenol, keratin, pure essential oils, and of course Aloe Vera.

• Curl'n Defining Solution: This has the consistency of a light mousse, but it comes in a pump bottle. It left my hair defined, and really didn't feel like I had any product in it. It is super lightweight, smells delectable, and works great at fighting frizz, and defining my curls. It's of course based in Aloe Vera, it contains Lychee Berry, amino acids, panthenol, and silica. For being a styling product it felt really moisturizing.

• Spray Revitalizer: Products like this, that are designed to allow curlies to get 2nd day hair, are always a staple. Even if you always rewash and redo your hair completely everyday, sprays like this are handy, sometimes curly hair can fall flat midday, and this is a great pick-me-up. This won't leave your hair feeling like there's anything on it. It's formulated with Lychee Berry, which is great at fighting off free radicals, Amino Acids, Panthenol and Silica. And of course it's based in Aloe Vera Gel!

• Elevate Finishing Spray: This is the only hair spray that I know of, on the market with an EPA rating of 0.00% environmental impact. It works great, it's flexible even after drying so you can style, and restyle again and again, until you get the look you want. Like all of their products this hairspray is based in Aloe Vera! It also has wheat protein, and panthenol, to help build hair strength.

I really like the Eufora line, I think it's great that their products actually help your hair, instead of simply masking the problems. All of the products incorporate essential oils, which smell like heaven in a bottle. If you're on the look out for a new hair care line, that's planet-friendly, good for your hair, and makes good hair days a regular thing then check out Eufora.

Jessicurl Winner!!!!

Hey gals! I'm back, and it's time to announce the winner of the Jessicurl Giveaway!!!! I was so excited to be a part of this Giveaway, and thank you so much to everyone who entered! I loved reading all your comments, and what you liked and wanted to try from Jessicurl. They're products are great!! Thanks to everyone who subscribed, and keep reading for more awesome Giveaways to come!!

Drum roll please..........................Jenn aka MomPOM is our Jessicurl Giveaway winner! Congratulations and I really hope you love the products!

Updating my obsessions and coming to terms.....

Hey gals! So it's been a little while since I did any updating, and I need to vent about my hair, so I thought I would kill 2 birds with one stone.

So let's start with the venting, and get it out of the way. I mentioned in an earlier post, that I went to get a haircut, and my hair got butchered. I am a cutter, and no I don't mean one of the sad girls, who cut themselves, I mean I can cut my own hair. I have had really short hair, like super short, for almost a decade now, and within the last year I had finally started letting it grow out. The problem you see, is that when you can cut your own hair, you do, often, because inevitably when your growing out a really short cut, you'll get to a point and it will look shaggy, so you cut it.  Well, that's been my cycle for quite a while now, let it grow, cut some off, let it grow, cut some off.....On and on, well I finally decided that I wanted to let it grow out, because I am sick of having to fix it everyday, I missed my curls, and longer hair means more options. So, as you can imagine, I'm quite upset over my hair being chopped again, and I simply needed to vent. I know it will grow, but I didn't get what I asked the stylist for, or what I paid for. The End. :)

On with the updating, now that my hair is short again, I cannot wear it curly, so I'm back to blowouts and flat irons. So here are some update product rec's for you lovely ladies:

• We all know that I love my Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream, it is my HG, and I cannot live without it. It leaves my hair shiny and manageable.
• Wen, DevaCurl No-Poo, DevaCare No-Poo: These are my current love affairs for cleansing, I love co-washing, and I hate shampoo. My hair is dry, damaged, and co-washing leaves it so soft, and moisturized. I am absolutely in love with the DevaCare line, it smells so yummy, and it works great. I seriously cannot say enough about this stuff. If you have asimilar hair type to mine, or if your a curly, if you hate shampoo, try co-washing seriously. It will change your life!
• DevaCare One Condition: Another new staple, this also smells like heaven. It leaves my hair soft, and shiny. I also use a small amount as a leave-in.
• Wen Texture Balm: When your hair is as short as mine is, you need a product that creates dimension, and will showcase your layers. This is a great pomade stick, and it's really easy to use.

If you've taken a look at my blog over the last few months, you may have noticed my transition from makeup to haircare obsession. As my hair got longer, it was just more fun to search around for amazing hair finds, then makeup. Now that my hair is shorter again, my hair has lost some of the fun factor, so it's back to makeup. Here's a quick update on the makeup I'm loving at the moment:

• Sheer Cover, Bare Escentuals, and Pur Minerals Foundation: These are my top 3 mineral makeup choices at the moment. They all leave my skin glowing, and smooth. They're all easy to use, last forvever, and look natural. I know a while back I talked about EDM, however I am a little upset with EDM for all the changes they're underwent, so I've boycotted them for the time being. I do not appreciate being lied to by a company and that's what they did. They told everyone that when the website change happened that they would keep the SCK (Super Custom Kit), because there was so much demand for it. They changed the website, the kit is no longer available, therefore they lied. I will not purchase from a company who cannot keep their word. My choice has nothing to do with the quality of their makeup, their quality is outstanding, however, I don't like the feeling that the customer comes last, if you say that you're going to do something, then do it. If I ran around lying to you ladies about my opinion of products, I wouldn't expect you to keep reading, because my word would no longer be believable, or valuable.
• Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette: This is my go-to palette, it has so many options for daytime looks and nighttime. It's so affordbale, the colors are beautiful, blendable, and user-friendly. I literally use this palette 9 out of 10 times.
• Tarte Light, Camera, Splashes Mascara: This mascara is awesome, it defines every single lash and makes them look beautful. I never get clumps. What more can a girl ask for from mascara?

Okay this is getting ridiculously long, so I'll save the rest for another day. :)

Review: Lumiere Cosmetics Eye Pigment in Pennsylvania Green

Hello ladies, today let's talk about eye pigments, specifically Lumiere Cosmetics eye pigment in Pennsylvania Green. Green is my absolute favorite color, for anything, not just eyes. So when they sent me this I was so excited to try it. OMG it is now my most favorite eye pigment ever. The color is so ridiculously beautiful, and vibrant. It's shimmery, and oh so easy to apply. I love to pair a gorgeous pop of color with neutrals, like browns and greys. The pics from the last post are Pennsylvania Green with other greens from the 88 shimmer palette. If you're looking for some gorgeous pigments, then check out Lumiere.

Goo Goo for Greens!

Hard Candy makes the perfect stocking stuffer

Hard Candy makes the perfect stocking stuffer

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Save money and time with FreshDeals!

I'm back again, and now it's time to save some money. We all want great deals this holiday season, and we don't want to spend hours shopping for bargains. I know when I've decided to make a purchase, I don't want to have to scour the sale ads hoping to find it on sale. I want it now, and I want a great price, preferably below retail. Well FreshDeals has options galore to save you time and money.

FreshDeals is basically a site you can go to, type in what you're looking for, and they'll show you where you can get it, and where you can get it for cheapest. They also have a great Q&A area where you can ask questions about products, and other consumers will answer them for you, or you can anwser someone's question. You can even connect to Facebook and share products and prices with your friends. I know sometimes when I'm shopping, I see things that I know my friends would like, and I usually email them a link, this makes it even easier.

 FreshDeals has all sorts of beauty products, from skincare to haircare and makeup, so you can compare prices and get the best deal. Looking to score some DevaCurl for cheap? Or Bare Escentuals? Maybe an eyeshadow palette? Then check out FreshDeals, and feed your inner product junkie, or get some gift shopping done!

More info on the Wen Hair Care System by Chaz Dean

Hello, I'm back again, this time to talk more about the Wen Hair Care System in it's most known formulation; Sweet Almond Mint. If you haven't seen the infomercial by now, then you must be living under a rock, or you don't have kids, and therefore you aren't up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings.

 In any case let's do a quick run down; the Wen Hair Care System will wash and condition your hair in one step and no, it isn't a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner. It's a whole different way of even thinking about hair care, you do not need shampoo, it is harmful to the overall health of your hair and scalp. Blame your shampoo for those numerous bad hair days you have, and ditch it! Wen is a cleansing conditioner, it's basically the consistency of a thick conditioner. It adds moisture, body, and shine. And it works on any type of hair.

You put it on wet hair, work it in, add a little water, and scrub your hair like you would with normal shampoo. Massage your scalp and make sure you work it in really well, and make sure you use enough, or your defeating the purpose. Now, leave it in your hair for the remainder of your shower. Rinsing the Wen cleansing conditioner out should be the last step of your shower, and you should rinse for 1-2 minutes. Once you've rinsed completely, take 1-2 pumps of Wen and put them in your hair as a leave-in. Done!

Let's make a few distinctions between what you're used to and Wen cleansing conditioner:

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  It will not lather, because it isn't shampoo. The harmful sulfates and detergents in shampoo are what make it lather, and therefore wash away the natural oils that your scalp produces and needs.
  
  
  
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  You have to use enough of it or your defeating the purpose, it does turn frothy or foamy, and you must make sure that you're using enough or you won't get your hair thoroughly cleansed.
  
  
  
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  You must make sure you rinse it completely. I know sometimes with normal shampoo and conditioner, you may not rinse your conditioner all the way out, so that your hair is soft. However, with Wen if you don't rinse it completely, you're not going to remove all the dirt that it is washing away.
  
  
  
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  I know there's a lot of talk on the internet about how pricey Wen is, however if you think about all the products that it replaces, it is completely cost effective. You'll no longer need to buy; shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, deep treatments, and some styling products. Wen costs around $30 a month, and I know I spend more than that on all those other products in a month.
  
  
  
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  If you have kids, and are constantly worrying about getting shampoo in their eyes, or wondering what chemicals your using to wash their hair, or they have allergies, then get Wen! Wen is so gentle, and effective.
  
  
  

Okay, so now where can you get Wen?

• 
  
  If you can't stomach the initial investment then head over to Wen Hair Care where you can order the television offer of $29.95 to try it out. You'll get the Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, Styling Creme, Re-Moist Mask, Texture Balm, and a wide tooth comb. You'll also be enrolled in the home delivery program, and you'll automatically be shipped Wen every 90 days, however, instead of paying for it all at once you'll be billed $29.95 a month. For me this is the most affordable option, because I can't afford $90 all at once. Don't fret, if for any reason you aren't satisfied you can cancel at any time.
  
  
  
• 
  
  If you want to go through Chaz Dean directly than head over to Chaz Dean where you can pick up anything from the entire line, and email the salon if you have any questions or concerns. You won't get the same savings as the home delivery program, but you will get more products to choose from.
  
  
  
• 
  
  If you want some amazing savings on kits, then check out QVC They have Chaz on periodically and that's when you'll save the most, and learn tips and tricks. However, they have some great kits available all the time, and individual products. Also, Chaz will be on Wednesday November 11, 2009 from 5-6am and 4-5pm ET.
  
  
  

One last thing to point out, Wen won the conveted Shecky's "Beauty at its Best" Award for best shampoo and conditioner.

Disclaimer: I was sent this product to try and review for you ladies, this is my honest opinion of the product. If I didn't really like it I wouldn't even bother posting anything about it.

The curls, the curls....

It's time again to talk about our curls, waves, kinks, and spirals. If you haven't stopped in at NC.com and picked up all the amazing hair advice, curly tips, and suddenly become a product junkie, then please do so immediately. NC is addictive, I have literally spent hours just browsing the forums. There is so much information to take in, and so many things to try, and so much awesome curly hair to look at. I get serious hair envy everytime I look at the pics. :)

I posted awhile back about how I style my hair, well that post needs updating. At the time my hair was still a little too short to get good curls, and not have a white girl 'fro. It's grown just enough since then, that I can rock my natural texture, and it looks good. I'll do a complete post, with an updated styling routine soon!

Review: Wen Hair Care System by Chaz Dean in Lavender

Hello gorgeous!! I'm back to talk to you dolls about Wen, as we all know that I absolutely love Wen, and co-washing in general. I was recently given the opportunity to try out Wen all over again, in a different formula; Lavender. The Lavender Cleansing Conditioner is for all hair types, but is extremely beneficial for dry, damaged, and wavy to curly hair.

The products I tried are the Lavender Cleansing Conditioner, Lavender Styling Creme, and the Lavender Volumizing Treatment Spray. They all smell exactly like freshly cut lavender. The first thing I noticed was that the Lavender Cleansing Conditioner left my scalp feeling cool, and refreshed, and my hair was super soft. The Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner didn't really leave my scalp feeling cool, so this was definitely different than what I'm used to. The Lavender Styling Creme didn't seem any different to me than the Sweet Almond Mint one, besides the smell of the product. Now as far as I know, the Lavender line is the only one that includes a Volumizing Treatment Spray, which says it can be used on wet hair for more volume, or dry hair as a finishing spray.

I really liked all the products, my hair was left entirely clean, and so soft. I recently went to get my hair cut, and ended up with an inverted bob, which isn't what I asked for or wanted. So now, my hair is too short in the back to wear it curly, so I'm back to flat-ironing, which is so, so sad. However, I used nothing but Wen products, and my hair looked great, it was shiny and bouncy, and smelled good. What more could a girl ask for?

If you want more info on Wen, check out Chaz Dean, where you can also pick up some products for yourself. Also, check out QVC for some awesome deals on Wen products, especially kits!

Spotlight on PCA Skin

Spotlight on PCA Skin

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Spotlight on curly hair: DevaCare

Spotlight on curly hair: DevaCare

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